Next Of Kin
by Juliet'sEmoPhase
Summary: When Draco is involved in a bad accident, Harry is given the opportunity to reconnect with him. Muggle AU, no smut, birthday present!


Author's Note 28-10-15: This story is a birthday present for the lovely Sammy aka dracolovesscarhead. It was based on this prompt by OTPPrompts on Tumblr:

"Person A and Person B have had a (serious) fall out for a few months now, but Person B has never changed their emergency contact so when they end up in the hospital Person A is called

BONUS: Person A comes running but tries to play it cool (& can't)."

Enjoy! xJx

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Next Of Kin

Harry came bursting through the doors of A and E, panic making him clumsy as he spun around looking for reception. "Draco Malfoy," he gasped as he ran up to the woman sat behind the desk. "I was told he was admitted?"

She gave him a sympathetic look that made Harry's heart contract, then brought up the right screen on her computer. "And your name?" she asked, clicking her mouse.

"Harry Potter," he said, jangling his foot anxiously. "I'm his – I'm his emergency contact."

 _Was that all he was now?_ he thought, his throat contracting. It had been so long since they'd had their last argument, since things had apparently fallen beyond repair. But Harry was ashamed to admit he hadn't extinguished hope that one day his phone would ring again and it would be Draco's name that popped up.

But not like this, under the clinical fluorescent lighting and smell of disinfectant.

"Is he okay?" he asked nervously.

"He's in recovery now," the receptionist reported, reading the notes off her computer. "You're able to go see him. Just take that door to your left and follow the signs – _no running!"_ she cried as Harry bolted, but he didn't care.

He slammed through several sets of doors, obediently following the signs that lead him to the right ward, pausing as he arrived at his destination. The person on the phone had said it was a car crash, that Draco had suffered from a compound fracture on his leg as well as several other injuries. The words 'internal bleeding' had been going around Harry's head over and over. _What if he wasn't out of the woods yet, what if-_

He choked back a sob and stepped away from the final set of doors as he breathed deeply, searching for his composure. Draco was fine. He would probably be sleeping, and Harry could just check he was okay then call his mum or one of his other friends to come visit, someone he would actually want to see.

He shook his head. There was enough to be upset over without re-hashing their breakup. He could have a good cry over a cup of tea later, for now, he just needed to make sure Draco was going to be alright.

Steeling himself, he pushed open the door to recovery, and found himself in front of the nurses' station. "Um," he said quietly to the large black woman making notes. "Is Draco Malfoy here?"

She smiled warmly up at him. "Of course," she said. "He's in the bed on the left at the end. He's been out of surgery for an hour or two, he's a bit worse for wear now but he should make a full recovery. Are you family?"

Relief flooded Harry's body, and it must have showed on his face because the nurse's look of sympathy increased. "I'm his, uh, emergency contact," he said again, unable to bear saying _'ex-boyfriend'_ out loud. Instead he thanked the nurse and left her to her work.

He walked down the aisle slowly, holding his breath in anticipation of what he might find when he passed the final curtain. Most of the people here were sleeping after surgery, and Draco was no exception. "Oh babe," Harry breathed softly as he reached the foot of his bed, feeling the tears rise unbidden behind his eyes.

Draco's left leg was in traction and plastered from his foot almost to his hip. He looked deathly pale in the mint green hospital gown, his blond hair plastered to his forehead. The visible skin of his arms and face were all covered with small lacerations, and a bandage on his right arm suggested he'd had a more serious cut stitched up.

Harry swallowed dryly and moved over to the plastic chair by Draco's bed, pulling the curtain gently behind him so they were enclosed. He wanted just a moment of privacy. He wouldn't risk staying long, he'd be mortified if Draco woke up before he could leave. But someone had to check on him and let his family know the situation.

Harry rested his elbows on his knees and grasped his hands together in front of his face. He was going to be okay, the nurse had said so, but Harry still couldn't hold back the tears that came, the grief that shook his shoulders. He may have been on the road to recovery, but that didn't mean anything to Harry, not really. He was still out of Draco's life.

"I just wish you'd talked to me," he whispered thickly, dropping his head into his hands. "God I've missed you. I wish…I just wish…"

"Harry?"

His head snapped up in horror. Draco was blinking slowly at him, his hand reaching clumsily out towards him.

Harry couldn't help it, he dragged the chair up right by the bed and took the proffered hand gently in both of his. "Draco," he hiccupped, not caring about his wet cheeks. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," he mumbled. "What happened?"

Harry was stroking his knuckles, falling back into old habits like they'd never died. "You were in a car crash," he said. "A lorry hit you and you rolled into a ditch. "You're fine now though, you're at the hospital."

Reality slowly seemed to be coming back to Draco, and he squeezed back against Harry's hand, frowning. "What're you doing here?" he rasped.

Harry swallowed. In a moment, he was going to ask him to leave, and he would go without fuss. But he was going to relish touching Draco just one more time whilst it lasted, and reached forward to brush his damp hair back from his face. "I'm still the I.C.E. number on your phone – your 'in case of emergency'. The hospital phoned whilst you were in surgery."

He waited as Draco just looked at him, blinking as he processed what Harry said. "You're here," he said eventually, his cracked lips twitching into a wary smile.

"Of course I am," said Harry, attempting humour but not really succeeding. "I had to make sure you were still in one piece."

Draco closed his eyes, and when he opened them again they were bright and wet. "Don't go," he whispered, clinging on to Harry's hand.

Harry tried not to let his hopes get up, Draco was on a lot of medication after all. But it was hard when Draco was looking at him almost with fear that he might leave. "I'm not going anywhere," he assured him.

They both had tears running silently down their faces, and Harry couldn't seem to look away from those grey eyes he loved so much. He'd never stopped loving anything about Draco he knew, but they had just to come to a point where carrying on together had seemed impossible.

All those reason though felt very far away as they clutched each other. "I missed you too," Draco said shakily, and Harry dropped his head, grinning as a fresh wave of tears hit him.

"You are such an arse," he said fondly. "Why does it take a bloody car crash for us to finally talk?"

"Pride," said Draco through a watery smile. "And stubbornness."

Harry nodded in agreement. "No shortage of that here," he said.

Draco became more serious, his gaze searching Harry's face. "How have you been?" he asked.

Harry shrugged "Okay," he said, which was sort of true. He'd found it an incredibly hard few months as he tried to adjust to not having Draco in his bed, to not reaching for the phone every time he had something he wanted to share. "Lonely," he couldn't help but admit, dropping his eyes to the shabby carpet, unable to wait for Draco's reaction.

"Me too," Draco whispered though, rubbing Harry's hand again with weak fingers. "I've been thinking about you. I…I wanted to call."

Harry swallowed, still looking at the floor. "Why didn't you?"

He heard Draco sigh shakily. "I was scared." There was a pause that Harry didn't know whether or not to fill, but eventually Draco carried on. "I was scared you'd moved on, that you wouldn't, that you didn't…"

"I haven't," Harry said as Draco shivered. He was too injured to be having this kind of discussion, but Harry couldn't bring himself to stop it. He needed to know, now. "I haven't moved on," he said. "I wasn't ready to even think about seeing anyone else, there's been no one, not even a flirt." It was pitiful really how it had not even occurred to him to look for someone new, but now, looking up and seeing the relief on Draco's face, he was glad.

"I tried," Draco admitted with a sad laugh. "But no one was good enough, I never even bothered to kiss any of them."

Harry was on his feet before he realised what he was doing, standing over Draco with his hand held close to him, his other hand carefully cupping the side of his face. "Maybe," he said, trying to keep his voice from wavering. "When you're back up on your feet. We could…maybe think…about trying again?"

He clenched his jaw in anxious anticipation, but Draco leaned his head closer into Harry's hand, eyes wide and earnest. "Maybe," he replied, equally nervous. "We could try again now?"

Harry couldn't tell if he was laughing or crying more, but hope flooded through him like he hadn't known in over half a year. "Okay," he whispered, bending down and touching his lips softly to Draco's. "Let's be better this time."

"I promise," Draco murmured against his mouth, and they shared another tentative kiss, both determined not to waste this second chance they'd been given.

End


End file.
